On Monday, I joined the Sheriff and several deputies in Washington, D.C. for the 42nd Annual National Peace Officers Memorial Service on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol. This event honored 443 law enforcement officers who had lost their lives in service to their communities. Pierce County Deputies Dom Calata and Daryl Shuey were among those being memorialized.
Our deputies were representing the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department as well as the larger Pierce County law enforcement family. I was there bearing witness on behalf of the rest of our County colleagues and all the residents of our County. We remembered Dom and Daryl and stood by and supported their families. It was powerful and important – and I hope Pierce County never has cause to be there again.
At the same time 70 miles to the north, another group of County co-workers and community members were in Emmitsburg, Maryland at the FEMA National Emergency Management Institute. Their assignment? To simulate a major volcano eruption and lahar from Mount Rainier – and plan our response.
While I hope this unthinkable disaster never befalls our community, I am thankful our team is preparing. And the work they do together for the exercise will also help us confront a variety of other potential emergencies. As a reminder, yesterday was the 43rd anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens.
On a much, much lighter note, our local weather has been spectacular – perfect for celebrating Bike Month in Pierce County. I took the opportunity to join Shawn Phelps, with Planning and Public Works, and Brianne Blackburn from Parks and Recreation, for a ride on the Foothills Trail! Watch this episode of Inside Pierce County to learn more about our trail system throughout the County. And then watch the video a second time and think about how our PCTV team got those amazing shots!
Thanks for reading,
Bruce